Virtual Assistants (VA's) – My Personal Journey as a V.A.

Year 2 – Week 11 – What is a rose without a thorn?

“Go back?” he thought. “No good at all! Go sideways? Impossible! Go forward? Only thing to do! On we go!” So up he got, and trotted along with his little sword held in front of him and one hand feeling the wall, and his heart all of a patter and a pitter.” ― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit

An honest account of a journey as a Virtual Assistant is just that; an honest account! Today is not such a good day and this week is not great! Thought I would share with you that being a VA is not sunshine and roses day in and day out. In fact there are a lot of thorns in my rose garden!

“But he who dares not grasp the thorn Should never crave the rose.” ― Anne Brontë

“What’s going on?”

I’ve missed two work opportunities this week due to an eye operation, someone that wanted a quote for a brief broken down into two parts (I work mostly by the hour) and problems with the electricity supply at my home has hampered a possible report formatting job. The client wants the work done on Friday and I won’t have electricity on Friday. So, yes, it’s my turn to feel a bit “blah”! Inbetween that I am going to be moving towns next month and am building on to the house we’re moving to and that in itself presents lots of curved balls such as packing up, decluttering and dealing with queries from the builder. Things like, “we have to move the existing septic tank” is quite a phone call to receive! There is saying in show business: “The show must go on”! So we plod on regardless hoping that it will all work out in the end as if by magic. How I wish I had one of those wands (even if it’s broken) from Harry Potter! Abbracadabra would do the trick right now.

So … how do we get around these issues? What is the magic formula? Well, quite frankly, in my opinion, there isn’t a magic formula to anything we are working towards. Hard work, organisation, planning and looking forward are the magic tricks. Not quite as easy as waving a wand but we are dealing with reality and not fantasy!

Shower, dress, make up and off to the office in the lounge – that’s what we will do today. Regroup and move forwards. My rose garden may have thorns, but I still have roses I can touch and smell. What is a rose without a thorn?